"Bangkok: A City of Contrasting Sights " a Bangkok Travel Page by DarkRay

In May 2004, ValuAir, a Singapore based airline targetting the value segment, officially started its operations in Singapore, with its maiden flight being the highly popular Singapore - Bangkok route. Since their entry, budget airlines such as JetStar Airways, Thai Air Asia and Tiger Airways have joined in the fray as well, and as such, a price war was started between the various popular full-service airlines eager to retain their market share for this high traffic route.

The full-service carriers which joined in the "fun" included Finnair, Garuda Indonesia, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, and Thai Airways, all offering all-time-low and never-before pricings ever since for return air tickets to Bangkok from Singapore.

Nowadays, my airline of choice when I fly to Bangkok is the Swiss International Air Lines. They are a very good airline with new planes and an impressive entertainment system with large PTV. Service was good as well. If there was anything to complain, it would be the food, which was largely vegetarian - but the food still did taste quite good. With the tickets costing only S$130 (about US$90, and less taxes of course) during promotional periods, it was wonderful value for money.

Bangkok, as the capital of Thailand, is a bustling metropolis of sights and sounds. Its people are friendly and its shopping is great. Despite the strong urban influence, it still nevertheless manage to retain most part of its old world charm.

So even for visitors who are not interested in the more glitzy side of Bangkok, they can still be entertained. The temples with their regal and intricated constructed stupas, are always an impressive sight, and one can also learn more about Thailand's unique culture and traditions by visiting the various museums within the city itself.

The weary and tired traveller can also try out one of the very affordable massage centres available almost everywhere in Bangkok. But to make sure that you are getting a genuine Thai massage, avoid going to one which offers "additional" or "special" services.

Shopping is one of the favourite activities among Bangkok's visitors and, they are many street markets and shopping centres to cater for this purpose.

My friends and I stayed at a Triple-Sharing Room in the Tower Wing of Ambassador Hotel. This was the view of the city from our room.